113w ago - Although Sony previously admitted and then apologized for removing PS3 Other OS functionality due to security concerns, today IGN reports that according to the ongoing lawsuit Sony states the PlayStation 3 Other OS removal was due to cost not security.

To quote: An amended class action complaint filed against Sony Computer Entertainment America this month is claiming the company removed the 'Other OS' feature from the PlayStation 3 to save money and not for security reasons.

In April 2010, SCEA removed the Other OS feature due to "security concerns." The complaint says the statement is a "fabrication," saying SCEA gave those reasons as a pretext so it could argue the Warranty and Terms of Service allowed for the removal of the feature.

In reality, SCEI and SCEA removed this feature because it was expensive to maintain (as they previously admitted when the feature was removed from the "slim" models - but which they conveniently removed from SCEA's website); they were losing money on every PS3 unit sold (due to poor decisions in the planning and design...

198w ago - According to the UK news site Telegraph (linked above), the PS3 Slim console that is expected to be announced at GamesCom during Sony's 3-hour press conference is reportedly to come in two versions- a 40GB and an 80GB model.

To quote: "An official PlayStation announcement could come later this month at the GamesCom video games show in Cologne, Germany, with the console itself in stores in time for the lucrative Christmas shopping season.

The new console, dubbed the PS3 Slim, is expected to cost less than the current generation of PlayStation 3 consoles, which start at around £300 for the 40GB version.

The Slim is likely to come in two models, one with a 40GB hard drive, another with an 80GB hard drive, with prices expected to start at around £260."

208w ago - It looks as though Sony is planning to introduce yet another PS3 SKU in coming weeks at E3 2009.

Some believe it will be a redesigned Slim PS3 while others think it will have the same cosmetic design, but will boast different features.

We still don't have the specifics, but this leaked pic of the Best Buy database (below) essentially confirms that a new PlayStation 3 SKU is on the way. It's set to go active after E3 next week and while the price is still set at $399 for an 80GB machine, it's also labeled as a "Limited Edition" bundle.

This package will include two unknown games and it quickly reminds us of Target's PS3 bundle they offered after the GDC; it included both Resistance: Fall of Man and MotorStorm. The release date is listed as June 9, which is less than a week after E3 concludes.

Now, this news may be disappointing to those of you who are hoping for a price drop announcement, but any new bundle deals are always appreciated by the savvy consumer. This package may also be exclusive to Best Buy - although we can't be sure at this point - which means it may or may not make a big splash at Sony's E3 press conference.

There's really no way of knowing the...

258w ago - With Metal Gear Solid 4 now officially out in the wild, news surrounding the title is spreading fast. Lightning fast, in fact. According to various reports including NeoGAF member The Faceless Master, Metal Gear Online players are allowed to create one free character per console.

Want to create another character? You'll have to pay up, according to the game's login screen, which reads: "You are given the ability to register 1 character to this PS3 system, free of charge.

Register free character for this PS3 system with the GAME ID you are currently logged in under? (If you play the game with another GAME ID, you will have to purchase another character registration slot.)"

So, now we know why Konami stuck with using their own login system instead of directly integrating it with PSN. There's no word on how much additional characters cost... yet.